Vizag schools flout fire norms

Vizag schools flout fire norms
DC SNV Sudhir
Visakhapatnam, Nov 14, 2011: Most schools in the city flout fire-safety norms and are potential death fire traps in case of a repeat of Kumbakonam tragedy, where 83 school children were killed in a school fire in 2004. GVMC, Fire and district education department officials issued notices to around 100 schools in the city to immediately comply with the fire safety norms or else face action.
After the Kumbakonam accident in Tamil Nadu, the state government had asked all the schools to provide enough emergency exits and ensure that the staircase width should be at least 1.5 metres so that children can be evacuated in the shortest possible time. Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) created a separate special wing to look into issues of compliance of fire safety norms by private schools.
There are around 500 private schools that come under GVMC limits and officials say that more than 300 flout fire norms. “Until now I have inspected around 60 schools and all the schools flout norms. We have immediately issued notices to them. If they don’t take corrective measures even after the notices we will recommend education department to cancel recognition to those schools. And for new schools we are strictly not giving any NOCs unless they comply fire norms,” said U sarath babu who head fire safety wing in GVMC.
As per the national building code for schools two water storage tanks should be provided apart from portable fire extinguishers. Teachers and staff working in schools should be aware of how to use fire extinguishers and the school management should conduct evacuation drills every month or once in two months. “We are conducting periodical checks and raids on the premises of schools. Very soon we are going to cancel recognition of 15 schools on the same issue. They failed to install fire safety equipment even after repeatedly sending notices,” said district education officer Sai Babu.
The state government has asked all schools to keep away inflammable material from their premises and no cooking is allowed in the schools. The district fire officer Narasimham said that their department had also started prosecution in the case of three schools. “We too served notices to more than 70 schools. Some schools have approached courts also. One of the schools immediately installed all the requisite fire safety equipment after we warned them of stern action,” said district fire officer Narasimham.